Friends forever?
by Alexnandru Van Gordon
Summary: Doumeki reflects why he’s always there to save Watanuki whenever he gets himself into fatal danger. Why does he even bother? Well…


**Friends…Forever?**

Alexnandru Van Gordon

Brain block…I can barely think for my other stories, so John suggested I tried a little one-shot. Maybe it'll develop into a story if I find a bigger plot to build off, but so far it's just a reflection of Doumeki. Here's to the mysterious friendship between Doumeki and Watanuki…

**Summary:** Doumeki reflects why he's always there to save Watanuki whenever he gets himself into fatal danger. Why does he even bother? Well…

**Warning: **It's a major spoiler for volume six, and it has little notes from the other volumes too. You have been warned…

**DISCLAIMER:** Not mine—at all…

Let's begin….

Doumeki isn't the social kind of guy. Sure, he's popular with the girls and the guys seem to think he's the best at everything, but he doesn't go out to late night clubs or bars to laugh and drink with his friends. They say he has friends, but is a person really your friend if you don't acknowledge them?

Everyone wants to be in his good book and he can't understand why. Maybe that's why he tried to figure Watanuki out. Maybe that's why he wanted to know why Watanuki hated him so much.

They met quite a long time ago as children starting school for the very first time. People liked Watanuki because he was bold, punctual and questioned the teacher a lot. He wasn't a trouble-maker—not in the least bit, he was just excessively smart and curious. So was Doumeki, but he tended to be cool and collective….Maybe that's what set Watanuki off.

The first time they met, face-to-face, was when Doumeki needed to borrow a pencil for art class. Watanuki sat behind him, so, naturally, he turned in his seat to ask him…

…One thing Doumeki couldn't deny was that he himself had a loud mouth.

"You're dog looks a little funny…"

Watanuki was a pale fellow. He had a pretty face, but he rarely smiled…it was as though he were made of stone. Well, when his face turned entirely red, Doumeki knew for sure that Watanuki was a human being.

"A _dog_…You're saying that my **_horse_** looks like a **_DOG_**! WHY YOU—"

And then Watanuki lunged.

At first it was the students that tried to hold Watanuki back, but as soon as the teacher saw what was happening it became a living war. He had to call in the teacher across the hall to help restrain Watanuki because _whoa_—Watanuki might have been a skinny little twerp, but he had some unknown super-human strength that nobody knew about up until this point…

Art class ended with Doumeki's desk pulled further up the aisle, and Watanuki strapped down to his desk by a belt wrapped twice around his waist and chair.

The next day, Watanuki was seated behind Himawari, and Doumeki was moved to the other side of the class…

Doumeki thought Watanuki would get over the incident with time. The boy seemed to smile a lot more as soon as he got to know Himawari, and he became a little more social after he remembered everyone's name.

That's when Doumeki noticed something odd.

Watanuki never ate lunch with anyone in the small cafeteria. He'd be walking with a couple of friends, laughing and joking around until he reached the door…then he would nervously bite his lower lip, make up an excuse that he forgot something in class, and run away to eat, _alone_, in the school yard, hidden somewhere in the shade of the trees or somewhere by the back wall. Doumeki knew the older kids spread that stupid rumor about the teacher who hung herself in there, but it wasn't real—right? He didn't even know if all the kids knew about the rumor.

"Why are you here?"

Watanuki swallowed his food and stared in the opposite direction. The shade of the trees was refreshing, but Doumeki didn't dare sit down lest Watanuki tried to hurt him again.

"What does it _look_ like? I'm _eating_."

"Alone?"

Watanuki made a snobbish noise and returned to his food. "Isn't there someone else you'd like to bother?"

"No."

"ARGH!" Watanuki threw his food back into his bento-box and stood up. "Fine! Steal my lunch-spot! I don't care! I'm not hungry_ anyway_!"

"_Stupid little twerp._" Doumeki muttered, watching as Watanuki stormed off. "I was only trying to make friends…"

The next day, Watanuki didn't come to school…In fact; he was gone for a whole week.

Turns out, Watanuki's parents died the night after he and Doumeki last talked. He was so depressed, he moved his desk to the far back corner of the class and didn't talk to anyone. He'd read and write and draw and paint…but he never said a word.

'_Maybe he's a mute now…'_ Doumeki thought…

-Time skip-

"Why did you shoot her?..._Because she isn't human_!"

Not such a mute anymore…

"No. It's just what I chose to do."

Then Watanuki fainted. He swayed a bit before falling over, and this time Doumeki didn't plan on sticking around when he woke up.

It all started almost a week or two ago when Yuko called him on the phone:

"_Keep an eye on Watanuki, please. I'll be gone for a while and I know Watanuki's in for trouble."_

"Watanuki has his own agenda." Doumeki replied. "I have archery class after school and he'll be busy doing his own things. How am I supposed to watch him?"

"_Himawari knows. Just ask her in a little while…Bye."_

A couple of days later, Himawari interrupted his gym class to tell him Watanuki passed out in the hall. Sighing inwardly, he excused himself and found Watanuki lying there, comatose, on the floor. He lifted him up into his arms and carried him all the way to the nurse's office where Himawari bothered herself over him.

"You know, the nurse can do that."

Himawari blushed, taking Watanuki's glasses and placing them gently on the bed-side table. "Um…well…a person can't sleep with their glasses on, now can they?" She finished it with a small giggle. "I mean, he's…well…"

It was hilarious. Doumeki knew Watanuki was head-over-heels in love with Himawari, but the little twerp didn't have any idea that Himawari had a little crush on him too.

Best to let them figure that out for themselves…

"Do you know why he fainted?"

She shrugged. "It's cold outside. He's gone almost every day after school to see some woman at the small park nearby."

…If any normal girl would have said that, she would've been in tears. Didn't she realize that Watanuki was going after school _each and every day_ to see another '_woman_'?

Himawari must have been able to read minds.

"Oh no, Doumeki, She's old enough to be his mother." She laughed. "Her son died, his parents are dead…They're just healing each other, that's all."

'_Or not.'_ He thought. "Have you seen this woman?"

"Um…no. Why?"

"Has anyone else seen this woman?"

She shook her head, long curly pigtails flapping from side to side. Sometimes she reminded him of a puppy-dog, full of energy and content with trying to make anyone happy. Maybe, if Watanuki mustered the guts to tell her he loved her, he wouldn't always so crabby anymore.

They waited for a long while until Watanuki woke up; oblivious to everything that just happened to him. It took Himawari and Doumeki a minute or two to bring him back to reality, and, when Himawari left, Watanuki started yelling again…

"A cold?"

Watanuki glared, aggravated with Doumeki's pestering. "That's what I _think_ it is!"

Doumeki frowned just to show Watanuki he had no power in the situation. "You don't have any fever!"

Then they argued…as usual. And, what's more, Watanuki neglected to tell him about the woman Himawari mentioned earlier. It wasn't that Doumeki wanted them to be best buds, telling each other every thing they saw or did—but it _would've_ been nice to have Watanuki trust for just _once_. It would make their job a lot easier.

But he didn't push. Watanuki passed out again from exerting too much energy into yelling anyway and stayed that way for the rest of school.

-Time break-

"Idiot." Doumeki muttered.

Yuko-san was on the phone again. _"He'll be at my shop soon. I need you to go over there and take care of him until he makes his decision."_

He sighed inwardly. "I thought you said I couldn't go inside your shop because I didn't need to. Am I supposed to stop him on the way there?"

"_If worst comes to worst, Maru and Moro will drag him onto the sidewalk."_

"He's not too smart." Doumeki said, face stoic. "What's he been doing anyway? One would have thought he'd cut it out already."

"_He's been seeing the spirit of a troubled woman."_

"She's killing him?"

"_Not intentionally. But yes…"_

"What exactly is she?"

"_I can tell you…but then that'll cost you a pretty price."_

Doumeki bit his tongue.

"_I hope you know you're the only one who can stop him. That's why I left him in your charge."_

He lifted an eyebrow at that statement.

"And I'm sure _you_ didn't tell him that."

"_Of course not. He'd argue that you weren't his dad and that he could handle himself. But Doumeki…if he's allowed to keep this going, he'll be lost forever."_

Suddenly…he felt terribly _guilty_. It felt as though he swallowed a burning ember and couldn't spit it back up again.

Watanuki…he was an idiot with a temper and one hell of a bad attitude when it came to dealing with his rival, but he had a hard life. His powers didn't help either…

"_You weren't wrong in thinking you could make friends with him. He's going to change—it's inevitable. He had a good reason for becoming rivals with you in the beginning though."_

"Are you going to tell me why?"

"_You'll find out soon enough on your own."_

"What business doe he have with you anyway? Is it to get rid of his powers?"

"_You're good at guessing, Doumeki. My compliments…but no. He thinks that's what he wants but there's a difference from what your mind wants and what you're heart wants—and only your heart makes wishes."_

"…Does he know this?"

"_Certainly not. He has to learn these things for himself—but look at the time! Watanuki's at my shop. Be a dear and get there, pronto!"_

How she could sound cheerful at a time like this was beyond his imagination, but he hung up anyway and sprinted from his temple all the way down to Yuko-san's shop. He got there in lightning speed…and not too late either. The two little shop girls were dragging him, each holding an arm, down the porch toward the gate

"_Uhn…_"

"Maru and Moro can't go outside! So this is as far as we can carry you."

He stayed on the sidewalk outside the large gate surrounding the shop. Maru and Moro stopped just short of it.

"Sorry!" They cried in unison. "From here, that one will carry you."

Watanuki tried to raise his head, paler in the face than ever before. "…'that _one_'?" He asked, sounding afraid.

The two little girls didn't answer. They heaved and tossed Watanuki head first toward the street. Doumeki, strong enough to lift Watanuki's light weight, caught him by the scuff of his school jacket neck before his head hit the ground. Whether he was upset or grateful that Doumeki was there didn't show. He simply looked up at his catcher, too sick to say much of anything.

"Doume…ki?" He asked in disbelief before passing out yet again…

He wanted to call him an idiot…but Watanuki wasn't an idiot at that moment. His mind was probably a little messed up from being sick for so long or maybe that spirit hypnotized him?

He didn't know…but he was angry and that's why he frowned down at Watanuki the entire time he carried the fool to his temple. He lived most of his life alone—he should have known to take better care of himself…

He took Watanuki to one of the spare rooms connected to his house. His mom was out so he took care of the boy on his own, slipping off his jacket and glasses, and then lying him down to sleep in bed. It was then that he noticed the dry blood on his hands. He wasn't injured anyway…

It was from his lungs, probably coming up when he coughed.

-Time break-

He _told _him what Yuko said. He _warned_ him about that woman—and what does he do? Leaves his jacket behind and wanders out into the cold of night to meet with that…that…

"Demon…" He muttered to himself, collecting his bow. It didn't matter what that woman really was—she was killing Watanuki.

Watanuki might deserve to have someone duck tape his mouth shut every once in a while, but giving up his life for some…_whatever_ was where the line had to be drawn. He didn't even deserve the disease he caught from following that woman around all week.

As he suspected—he found Watanuki with the woman. For once, Doumeki was able to see her…not clearly, but he could see a pale outline of her figure…and Watanuki's white face. If not for the fact that he was opaque, Doumeki would have thought he'd died already.

He started coughing again, more blood slipping past his lips…and the second that _woman_ touched him, and the coughing only got worst.

Watanuki fell to his knees and the woman knelled next to him on the ground, reaching out—

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!"

That startled them both, especially Watanuki. He stared up at Doumeki, silently pleading him to leave…

"Dou…me…"

"I _thought_ you'd come, no matter what I said." He snapped, glaring at the woman. He could barely see her face, but he could tell she was afraid of him. "As I thought…she isn't human after all. That woman…She's transparent. I can see everything behind her…"

She was killing him…

He drew his imaginary bow, feeling something light and warm in his figures as he took aim.

"NO! DON'T!" Watanuki yelled hoarsely and mustered the strength to stand, positioning himself between Doumeki and the woman.

'…_Yuko said my arrow hurts spirits…It won't hurt him…' _He convinced himself. But…maybe he was wrong?

At least the woman did one good thing for Watanuki. She flew through him into Doumeki's plan view and took the arrow instead of him.

"Wh-wh-why…?" Watanuki stuttered. The spirit, slowly fading into smoke, said something to the fool that Doumeki couldn't understand. It was in some sort of foreign or dead language…but he did hear her last words, figuring that she meant for him to hear them anyway…

"…_you have people who don't want to lose you…"_

And that brought him back to the present, after he told Watanuki he shot the woman because that's what he chose to do…

Shaking his head, he knelt down and tossed the fool's limp figure over one shoulder, using his other arm to carry his bow. Watanuki was sure to yell at him again the moment he woke up, so, somewhat hurt knowing there'd be no thanks for any of his effort, Doumeki started on his way down to Yuko-san's shop. Much to his surprise—only expecting to find the two little girls—Yuk-san was waiting for him.

Watanuki was light enough for her to carry, so she took him from Doumeki on the sidewalk…but she stopped him from leaving.

"Good job, Doumeki. You'll receive your pay soon."

"Pay?" This was new.

"I told you already, Watanuki's change is inevitable. Just pretend you're ignoring him and he'll start his payment to you."

"He owes me?" And all this time he thought he was being the Good Samaritan…

"It'll take him a couple of years or so, so don't expect it all in one day."

If had anything to do with an improvement in attitude, Doumeki would be grateful for a permanent change in Watanuki…

-Time break-

Yuko doesn't lie…

It took Watanuki a day or so to get better, but he was back at school in a jiffy. The first time Doumeki saw him was in the hall with Himawari, and he did exactly what Yuko said, ignoring him…giving a little cold shoulder—and it _worked_. The moment he passed by the two wordlessly, Watanuki stopped him.

"_Wait_…" Doumeki turned to stare at Watanuki's back, staring at the fool who had his hands on his hips. "…You can come to lunch too. But only as _Himawari's_ guest. Got it?"

Doumeki had to raise his eyebrows, certainly surprised by the passive thank-you. It was said so _childishly_, but if Watanuki was going to be a little nicer each day, Doumeki really didn't mind.

"Only if you brought some inari sushi." Doumeki said—just to show he was still in charge of their little ghost-hunting club. But when he smiled—even if it was just a smidgen of a smirk, two girls in the hallway stumbled. Like he said before—he was popular for unknown reasons, but that didn't mean he smiled that often.

Now there'd be a rumor tomorrow that he, Watanuki and Himawari were the best of friends from now until the end of forever. That would get on Watanuki's nerves…

He'd have to bring a camera tomorrow.

"I _didn't_ bring _any_! And why would I want to anyway? I brought sanshoku-onigiri today."

"I guess it can't be helped." He smiled inwardly, plugging his sore ear.

"What kind of way to talk is _that_!"

Himawari giggled. "Watanuki-kun, you and Doumeki-kun seem like such good friends!"

Trust her to get him wired-up.

"You've got it all wrong, Himawari-chan!" Watanuki whined.

Doumeki couldn't help himself—sometimes it was from to pester Watanuki. "If you're making sanshoku, then that had better be _real_ salmon in there."

"What gives you the right to make demands!"

And so they left to eat Watanuki's small picnic.

He was really curious as to what Yuko-san said before, about Watanuki hating him in the beginning for a reason, but he was satisfied with that fact that it wouldn't last for much longer. Having Watanuki secretly indebted to him for the next couple of years was good enough for him…

-A-

­That was surprisingly hard (trying to hold a comic and type at the same time). I can hardly wait until volume seven come out, and I'm really curious about the guy sending the wings out…Oh well, knowing Doumeki, Watanuki and Yuko have a major villain to defeat makes me happy—and I'm really curious about what's going to happen next.

Hope you liked it. ;)

_Until Again,_

_Alexnandru Van Gordon_


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